The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong announced that it has suspended import of poultry meat and products from areas in UK and Germany.
The CFS announced on April 9, that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in East Staffordshire District of Staffordshire County in the United Kingdom (UK), and in Paderborn, Münster, Märkischer Kreis, Warendorf, Minden-Lübbecke, Hochsauerlandkreis and Gütersloh of the State of Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 11 130 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 420 000 poultry eggs from the UK, and about 3 900 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 1.41 million poultry eggs from Germany last year.
"The CFS has contacted the British and German authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.
The CFS also announced that it has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from Jangheung-gun of Jeollanam-do Province in Korea with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 1 190 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 11.15 million poultry eggs from Korea last year.
"The CFS has contacted the Korean authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.
The CFS also announced that in view of notifications from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Nowosądecki District and Limanowski District of Małopolskie Region; Mławski District of Mazowieckie Region; Cieszyński District of Śląskie Region and Mrągowski District of Warmińsko-mazurskie Region in Poland, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 13 500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 39.08 million poultry eggs from Poland last year.
"The CFS has contacted the Polish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said. ■
The Analysis and Risk Unit (UAR), made up of officials from the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency and by Civil Guards of the Fiscal and Border Company of the port of Algeciras, more than three tons of hashish have been seized in the facilities of the port of Algeciras.